Along with new Nexus switches, the networking company added the Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender to help IT managers dealing with an increasing number of servers and a growing demand for bandwidth from each server, particularly as virtualization is used to run more business applications in one machine.

When connected to dual Nexus 5020 switches, the new 2148T extender can support up to 2,496 Gigabit Ethernet servers. The advantage of using the extender is increased scalability of the access layer without increasing management points within the network, Cisco said.

For new switches, Cisco introduced the Nexus 7018 and 5010 and the Catalyst 6500.

The Nexus 7018 offers an 18-slot chassis that provides up to 16 input/output module slots supporting up to 512 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The switch has a new 48-port Gigabit Ethernet fiber line card that supports mixed Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet environments.

The 5010 is a one-rack unit, 28-port switch that supports 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Cisco Data Center Ethernet, Fibre Channel over Ethernet, and Fibre Channel. The product is able to consolidate traffic from local area networks, storage area networks, and a server cluster onto a single unified fabric, Cisco said.

Nexus 2000 Series Fabric Extender (click for larger image)

Cisco's Nexus 5000 series combines storage, switching, management, virtualization, and security into one box. The technology is another step in Cisco's strategy of bringing more and more server functions into the network.

The switches are used to handle some server functions, aggregate server connectivity, and connect into existing networks of Cisco's popular Catalyst switches, larger Nexus 7000 series, and storage networks.

The Catalyst 6500 is designed to be used as a virtualized service node together with a Nexus core to secure and accelerate applications. Other software enhancements include support for long-range integrated 10-Gb Ethernet optics to reduce the time needed for planned network maintenance.

Cisco launched the new switches, along with a partner program called EnergyWise, at the Cisco Networkers conference in Barcelona, Spain. EnergyWise integrates power management with network devices to monitor and control power usage.